LIBERTY, June 20, 2014 - An accidental shooting sent Jerry D. Burns, age 57, by Life Flight to Herman Hospital in Houston with a gun-shot wound to his left jaw. Sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Leal responded to the call on CR 2707 around noon today in the Big Thicket area of north Liberty County where he found Mr. Burns suffering from the non-life threatening wound. Burns and his wife had been preparing to leave their home to run errands and Mr. Burns was working on his rifle.

According to Deputy Leal, Burns was in the process of putting a “trigger lock” on his .22 caliber rifle and had it semi-attached when he dropped the rifle and because the trigger lock was actually made for a pistol and not a rifle, it did not fit properly thus causing the rifle to discharge. The .22 caliber long rifle bullet struck Burns in the left jaw and did not exit therefore causing concern for his condition. Life Flight was called to transport Mr. Burns to the Houston hospital in what is thought to be “stable” condition.